


Even Gods Need Bodyguards

by arajiki



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi is so confused all the time someone help him, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Eventual Happy Ending, Famous! Bokuto, Hints of Kurotsuki and Kuroken, How many people have tried to kill BokuAka today I wonder, Japanese Mythology AU, Kuroo Lives Matter 2021, M/M, Manager! Kuroo can never catch a break I swear, Reincarnation, Soulmates, Very angsty and lowkey melodramatic, tags to be continued
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:15:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28532760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arajiki/pseuds/arajiki
Summary: Akaashi Keiji was once renowned as the sword of the storm god Susanoo. But when Susanoo is framed for murder by one his fellow gods; he hatches a plan to lock Akaashi away in a tomb with his god core, a physical manifestation of his own power. Instructing Akaashi that when the tomb reopens he is to seek out Susanoo's human reincarnation and restore his powers.Though thousands of centuries pass before the tomb finally reopens and when it does Akaashi finds himself in a world he does not recognize with powers he does not yet understand. Determined he set's out to search for Susanoo. Three more centuries pass before he finally stumbles upon him by accident. His name? Bokuto Koutarou. The resemblance -  uncanny, even after thousands of years. The only problem, he's now the most famous actor in all of Japan.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 12
Kudos: 41
Collections: Haikyuu!! Urban Fantasy Bang





	Even Gods Need Bodyguards

**Author's Note:**

> The fic was born from the HQ!! Urban Fantasy Big Bang and though it will be continued long after the event's end. I was so happy to take part in this bang. I got to work with two amazing and talented artists who have supported this start of the fic's journey in addition to creating some amazing art for it!!
> 
> You will see their art embedded in the first two chapters of the fic but please go show them some love on their socials as well!!
> 
> Catastra: https://catastrafey.tumblr.com/  
> Iris: https://twitter.com/kuehjpg

* * *

_560 AD_

Akaashi glanced out over the meadow, admiring the white petals which covered flower tops appearing as if snow had fallen gently upon them. Gripping the cup of tea in his hand, Akaashi still felt unnerved in spite of the scenic view. The night seemed almost too quiet and the sky too dark; it was obvious something was not right.

“Akaashi,” a gentle voice spoke out, causing a jolt of excitement to run through his body. 

Glancing behind him, Akaashi watched as his lord appeared from the shadows. 

“Lord Susanoo!” Akaashi gasped, immediately pressing his head to the ground in a low bow. “What brings you here at this late hour?”

“I’m afraid my time is coming to an end.”

Akaashi eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Pardon me, my Lord, but I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Uke-mochi is dead,” Susuanoo said, his tone and expression unwavering.

_The goddess is...dead?_

“But how can that be?”

“Tsukuyomi killed her.”

Akaashi felt his blood run cold at the blatant explanation, slightly fearful at the emptiness that now occupied Susanoo’s eyes. “But what does that have to do with you?”

“Well to start, he intends to blame me for it.”

“That’s impossible! Amaterasu would never believe such a lie! The people would never believe it!”

“Amaterasu doesn’t know what to believe. She has already vanquished Tsukuyomi from her sight and now she calls for me.” 

“Just tell her the truth, my lord! Amaterasu is kind, surely she will believe you.”

“Under what pretense? A high god such as myself need not be in the presence of someone to kill them; I only need to simply wish for it and my wish shall be law. Therefore, it could only be Tsukuyomi or myself who killed Uke-mochi. He’s found the perfect cover. There is no way to insure whether it was me or him therefore, the only option is to punish us both.”

Akkashi felt a strain in his lungs; the air itself felt like fire as he breathed. “The - then what will she do? What’s going to happen to you?”

“She’s going to kill me, of course, or at the very least strip me of my god core and destroy it. Without it, I will age quickly and die shortly after, so it is all the same I suppose.” 

“No! She can’t!” Akaashi cried, reaching for Susanoo's hands. “I won’t let her. My lord, please take me with you. Together we can fight.”

“Even if we fight, we cannot win.”

“Don’t say what you don't know for sure, I’m confident we could.” 

“What good would that do us, though? It would only cement our names as criminals and solidify a grim end for us both,” Susanoo explained as he glanced over the meadow. 

“Then I will happily die at your side!” Akaashi declared. 

Susanoo’s eyes shifted towards his pupil once more, becoming strained as they withheld his sadness. His lips twisted themselves upwards as he offered his pupil the best smile he could muster. Akaashi was no fool though, seeing the pain in his lord's eyes. He was unaware of his own tears as they began flowing from his eyes like a cup that had been filled too high and was now spilling over, creating miniature streams down his face. All the muscles in his body began to strain, causing him to tremble like a frightened child. Looking up, not even the sad smile from the lord which he admired so much could soothe him. “So what do we do? What can we do? You’re not suggesting we just let her kill you, are you?”

“Yes.”

“My lord you ca-”

“But just in this life.”

“Wha-” Akaashi’s words slowed to a stop, his confusion only deepening. “I don’t understand.”

“Follow me.” Susanno smiled, starting off into the forest.

Pulling himself up to his feet, Akaashi grabbed his sword and followed behind quickly.

“Where are we going?”

A few moments of silence passed before Susanno began once more, “Akaashi, have you ever heard the story of lady Kawaguchiko and her sisters.”

“Yes.” Akaashi nodded. “It’s said that they all fell in love with the same mortal - Fujiro - and when he died, they sealed his soul within a Mountain and turned themselves into the great lakes that would serve the mountain’s resources.”

Susanoo let out a laugh as he reached out to ruffle Akaashi's hair. “Such a prompt response, I expected nothing less from my sole pupil.” 

“My Lord, I’m not sure if right now is the time for praise,” Akaashi said discerningly, his eyes still threatening to spill over with tears. 

“I suppose you’re right,” Susanoo said, returning his hand to his side. “Anyhow, what if I told you that is only half the story?”

Akaashi's eyes fell into slits, tilting off to the side. “What do you mean?”

“It is simply as I said, there’s more to the story. And though I wish I could explain it to you in more detail, unfortunately we are a bit short on time,” Susanoo explained. “To put it simply, Kawaguchiko held a great deal of guilt about holding Fujiro's soul captive because for as long as he was held within the mountain he could never be reborn.”

“And she wanted him to be reborn?”

“Not necessarily, because when a soul is reborn it doesn’t mean they are the same person they were before,” Susanoo elucidated. “Sometimes they may not be a person at all. They could be a cat, bug, fish or even a plant. Which means to release him would ultimately mean to lose him as it is very difficult to find someone in their next life. Unless, of course, there is a link that ties them together.” 

“And did she have one?”

“Yes,” Susanno responded. “Do you wanna guess what it was?”

“Not really.”

Susanoo’s shoulder shook with laughter. “I should've expected that. But, it was love. Kawaguchiko and her sisters may have all loved the mortal but he only loved her. So much so that when he was on his deathbed, he asked nothing more than for her to hold his hand in the final days before he died.”

“So what happened after that?”

“Well it is as the original story says, Kawaguchiko’s sister captured Fujiro’s soul and stored it within the great mountain, doing so because they never wanted to suffer the pain of his passing again. Becoming the lakes which surrounded it, they were able to stay by his side for eternity.”

“What didn't happen?”

“Ah, now you’re catching on.” Susanoo nodded. “After her sisters entered their eternal slumber, Kawaguchiko released Fujiro’s soul, vowing that she would find him in the next life and every life after.”

“I’m not sure I follow,” Akaashi admitted. “So if Kawaguchiko never entered an eternal slumber then where did she go? She is still said to have died that day.”

“She did but just as a god.” Susanoo explained. “Akaashi you know what a god core is, correct?”

“Yes, it’s a physical manifestation of one's godhood. It’s what makes you immortal and give you your power.”

“And without it?”

“As long as it is not destroyed, the god would return to being human, time catches up to them, and they would likely die shortly after, returning to the universe's natural life cycle.” 

“Meaning they would live, die and be reborn just like humans.”

“Again my lord, I’m not quite following,” Akaashi relented. 

“Kawaguchiko was also not fond of the idea that she would watch Fujiro die over and over again. So she sought out other means.”

“Those being?”

“Haniyasu.”

“The god of soil and fruition? Why?”

“Those reasons are not quite as understood but from my understanding, Haniyasu also loved Kawaguchiko. So when she approached him with a favor, he could not deny her.”

“What was the favor?”

“To take her god core from her and protect it so that she may live as a human with Fujiro,” Susanoo said. “That is why Haniyasu is at the god status you know them for today. By holding Kawaguchiko’s core, he also holds her power.”

“Okay so Kawaguchiko fell for a human, got rid of her god core and became human herself and left her sisters in an eternal rest believing they were with their beloved. And Haniyasu gained more power by taking Kawaguchiko’s god core, but he only did so because he loved her,” Akaashi explained, making sure he understood the story he was told. “But what does this have to do with your situation, my lord? How can knowing any of this possibly help us?”

Stepping out of the forest onto a small clearing, Akaashi could see the lake’s edge in the distance.

“I still don’t understand.”

“I know it may seem pointless now, but it is important you know the details for later. The main reason I have told you this is because we are going to Fujiro’s tomb.”

“Fujiro’s tomb?”

“At the center of Mountain, there's the tomb which Lady Kawaguchiko’s sisters had intended to use to seal away Fujiro’s soul. The tomb is said to be undetectable by other gods. They were scared other gods may take advantage of it, so they hid it away.”

Arriving at the water’s edge, Susanoo slowly made his way into the lake.

“Sir, wha-”

Akaashi’s words stopped short at the site of the water splitting apart, forming a straight path on the lake’s floor before Susanoo. At the end of it, a large threshold stood tall, leading into a black abyss. 

“If it’s untraceable...then how did you find it? And why are we here?” There were so many questions which swirled around in Akaashi’s head.

“I won’t lie and say I was the sole exception,” Susanoo explained, motioning for them to move forward. “I stumbled upon it during a storm that took place over this area some time ago. After some probing at Haniyasu, he eventually told me in trust what had actually happened.”

Akaashi nodded, still not quite sure that he was understanding everything but too disorientated to question it any further. 

Passing under the threshold, a long tunnel awaited them on the other side. The tropical air fading into a cold chill the deeper they travelled into it. 

“My Lord,” Akaashi said, breaking his silence. “Why are we here? Why are we conversing over such stories? You say it was for the sake of this place but that doesn’t answer why...”

Reaching the end of the tunnel, Susanoo slowed to a stop right before a large wall. 

_A dead end?_ Akaashi thought. 

“You’ve fought many battles with me, Akaashi, “Susanoo finally spoke. “Have you not?”

“I have.”

“What would you do if I told you that there was a battle you must fight not with me, but for me.”

“That is without question, my lord, I would not just fight for you, I would lay down my life for you. Even if I must do so alone.”

“And what if this fight requires you to live rather than to die?”

“I-” Akaashi stumbled. “I’m not following my lord.”

“If there could be a way for us to save my god core, I can one day return to my place as a god.”

“How do we do that?”

“With you.”

“Me?”

Susanoo nodded as he turned to face Akaashi. “As we’ve discussed, God's core is a literal manifestation of their power. It holds no bias toward the vassal which it inhabits. Meaning I can give it to someone else in the same way Kawaguchiko gave it to Haniyasu.”

“But why me?”

“Who else? There is no one other than you I can trust to keep it safe and eventually return it to me.”

Akaashi nodded, swallowing hard as he quickly gathered up his resolve. If this is what his lord needed of him, then he was prepared to do so wholeheartedly.

“Okay,” he said, his voice small, desperately trying to mask any fear that may show in his expression. “That doesn’t tell me why we’re here.”

Taking a deep breath, Susanoo nodded, a heavy guilt settling on his chest. “After I relinquish my god core to you, your body will be forced into a slumber.”

“What?”

“Usually this process happens over a few months or at the very least a few weeks. And that is for less powerful cores,” Susanoo explained. “My core is amongst the most powerful and we are doing it in one go. The sheer power of it is going to push your body far past its breaking point. To put it simply, you are going to feel like you have been pushed into hellfire itself. As a result, your body will shut down almost completely as the core settles within you.”

“How long will it take?”

“That depends on you. But the core paired with your own soul will react in tune with the tomb and seal you within it, protecting you while you sleep.”

“It will seal me...here.” 

“Just until you wake up.”

“And what happens after that?”

“I can’t say for sure, but once you’re released, life in this world will likely be different. It would be best to first adapt before beginning your search for me.”

“But how am I supposed to find you? You said so yourself, it is almost impossible for one to be found in their next life.”

Susanoo hesitated for a moment, allowing silence to caress them both as a warm summer breeze blew in from the tomb’s entrance signaling that morning was upon them. Reaching out, Susanoo rested his hand softly on the side of Akaashi’s face. The two stared at each other in an odd sort of way as if they were communicating telepathically. 

“Tell me,” Akaashi whispered. Tears budded in his eyes, frustrated by the uncertainty of it all. “How will I find you?”

Sighing once more, Susanoo wiped his thumb under Akaashi’s eye before allowing his hand to move backwards. Stopping right under Akaashi's ear, after that all it took was a single moment and their lips were pressed together. He could feel Akaashi’s body tense up before settling into a relaxed state. Their lips parting slowly, hungry for more of each other. Though as sweet as it was, it was short; another moment passed and Susanoo’s hand fell to Akaashi’s shoulder giving a small push, separating the two of them.

“That’s...” Akaashi started.

“There is always a link.”

“What?”

“You may not understand now, but I have always believed we were linked in more ways than one,”

Susanoo said. “Therefore, when you begin searching for me, I have complete faith that you’ll without a doubt find me.” 

“But what...”

Akaashi’s words fell into the background as a sudden feeling of dread set in and sent a shiver down Susanoo’s spine. The hair on his arms stood upright and the air around them became thick to the point of suffocation. They were out of time. 

Not giving Akaashi any more time to ponder the situation, Susanoo unsheathed his sword.

“What are you doing?!” Akaashi panicked.

Grabbing Akaashi by the wrist, Susanno laid the edge of his sword across his pupil’s palm, dragging it with enough force to draw blood and doing the exact same thing to

his own afterwards.

“My lord!” Akaashi exclaimed, shocked at the blood that now poured from Susanoo’s palm. “Why?”

“We've wasted too much time!”

Clasping their palms together; Susanoo muttered something inaudible and shortly after the blood that dripped from their hands froze mid air. The red colour faded into a glowing sliver as it started to fall upwards into an orb. 

The blood continued to gather between them both. Amazed at the sight before him, Akaashi was unaware of the strain Susanoo had put himself under until Susanoo strength finally began to fail, his left leg giving out beneath him as he fell to the ground.

"My lord!" Akaashi gasped, attempting to pull away his hand, but Susanoo only tightened his grip as he shouted desperately to his pupil, "Don't let go! It's almost done." 

The orb grew in size rapidly, the air around them growing warm as it emitted warm gusts and growing so strong that it began to feel as if the air was being pulled from his lungs. Just as it felt like the orb itself would implode, Susanoo let go of Akaashi's hand and reached out to grab the orb.

"My lor-" Before Akaashi could utter a single sentence, Susanoo pushed the orb into his chest, sending what felt like lightning bolts through Akaashi's body. The orb flattened into a metal chest-like plate as it seeped into his skin.

Even as it disappeared from the surface of his body, Akaashi could still feel it moving inside of him, almost as if it was coating every vein - no, every cell within him. However, it was what happened next that brought him pain unlike no other. 

It felt like his arms and legs had been wrapped in branding iron and then set on fire. The fire eventually spread to his chest and back causing his mind to draw blank, unable to utter a single word nor formulate any thought. 

Falling forward, he landed on his palms, his body still convulsing, and small waves of energy throughout every piece of him. Looking upwards, he could see Susanoo standing before him, a pained expression on his face.

 _My lord, please do not make such a sullen face,_ Akaashi thought, wanting so desperately to comfort him. Though alas, he could not. His strength was fading fast and with it his vision began to blur, exhaustion taking over. His hands slipped against the gravel as he fell onto his forearms, his body tilting to the side. Just before he hit the ground completely, he felt a warm grip around his waist. 

“Lord Susanoo,” he said, though it came out more as a childlike mumble. Despite not being able to see, the smell of rain and salt water that enveloped Akaashi assured him that it was in fact Susanoo. 

“You won’t understand what has happened until long after I have gone,” Susanoo spoke as he carried Akaashi over to the cave wall, setting him down and propping him up against it. “But I have faith you will be able to put the pieces together.”

Standing up, Susanoo could hear his bones creaking as a result of the sudden movement, a sign that time was already beginning to catch up with him.

“As your teacher, I will consider it my great failure that our final moments together have left you with questions instead of answers, but the next time we meet I have faith you will be the one to bring me answers.”

Gathering his energy, Susanoo made his way out from the cage, leaving his only disciple alone as he fell as the nether world called to him. Akaashi could feel as his Lord’s warmth began to leave him, an empty cold feeling in the space around him.

Straining his eyes to see, he could only make out a shadowed figure that disappeared into the blue plain. Soon enveloped in darkness, the water began to rise once more filling the cave. Unable to move, dread set in as Akaashi quickly realized he was helpless against the waves.

_Maybe it is best to just let them consume me._

Leaning his head against the cave wall, Akasshi finally let his eyelids fall shut, a warm relief spreading over him. 

_Crack._

Akaashi eyes perked up at the cracking and rumbling that came from the wall behind him. _What is happening?_

He focused on the sound as the water made its way to his chest; however, it was no longer cold. The water was warm, embracing him like a mother would her child and lulling him slowly to sleep. Time began to feel as if it was no longer moving as it should, and just like that the water had engulfed him completely, sweeping away his existence from the world in its endless stream. 


End file.
